Bloody Barricade and an Unbreakable Promise
by messed up stargazer
Summary: The final 'Useful Platitudes and Skin Contact' story, Their final night at the barricade. Not like the others. Cookies to those who notice what is missing from this one that most of the others have. Enjolras/Grantaire but I think I keep it pretty light. R&R!


June 1832. Larmarque was dead. The revolution had come. The barricades had arisen. Marius had succeeded in driving the enemy away, although Enjolras would never have even though of doing it _that_ way. Enjolras surveyed the barricade with dismay. Blood ran into the street like a river, parts of the student revolution blasted across the stones, his breath caught in his throat until he counted each and every one of his friends. Thank Dieu they were still alive. Though who knew for how long.

"Courfeyrac, you take the watch, They may attack before its light, Everybody keep the faith, For certain as our banner flies, We are not alone, The people too must rise." Enjolras found a certain melody in his voice and used it to help mask his fear. "Marius, rest."

The college student stepped down from the barricade he was so obsessed with building higher and stronger. Enjolras understood his restlessness. He wanted to build the barricade higher, make it impenetrable, make it so the people on the other side could never hurt his friends, make it so none of them had to die. He wanted to keep his friends as safe as he could, even if it meant laying down his own life. He... he knew he was ready to make that sacrifice. He thought he knew, now he wasn't entirely sure.

Then Grantaire popped open a bottle of wine Enjolras hadn't even noticed before and started to sing.

"Drink with me to days gone by, To the life that used to be, At the shrine of friendship, never say die, Let the wine of friendship never run dry, Here's to you and here's to me." The other Amis had joined in as Grantaire passed the bottle around.

The bottle went from Gavroche, who took a bigger swig that he should've, back to Grantaire. He stood and stumbled over to Enjolras. For the first time in his life, Enjolras took the bottle and knocked back a gulp of wine. He sputtered and gagged, unused to the strange taste and Grantaire grabbed his shoulders, to steady him. Enjolras gratefully leaned into Grantaire and, after Enjolras had his breath once more, Grantaire moved to let go but Enjolras shook his head ever-so-slightly. He gained comfort from Grantaire's steady warm hands holding him to reality.

"It's easier in the beginning if you don't smell it." Grantaire shrugged, a pained look in his eyes. Grantaire had been the only one to say that the people weren't ready for revolution. That they didn't want one.

He was beginning to worry that Grantaire had been right.

"Thank you, mon ami." Enjolras said, shuddering as the wine burned his throat still.

"Of course, Enjolras." Grantaire said sadly.

For a time neither said anything. Even though they had agreed to discover their emotions together, they knew now there was no time for anything. Neither knew if they were to survive the next hour, let alone the night.

"I'm sorry." They both said together and Enjolras blushed and motioned his friend to say what he wished.

"I should've listened to you. I should've believed." Grantaire muttered cynically.

"No. I often looked forward to your cynicism. It gave me a reason to challenge myself. To make my argument better." The unspoken 'It made me better' echoed around the two.

"Why are you sorry? You are trying to do good in this godforsaken world." Grantaire asked.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you the time we both wanted." Enjolras sighed and moved to sit inside the Musain, Grantaire following loyally still keeping one hand on Enjolras's shoulder.

"You gave me more time than you realize." Grantaire knelt next to Enjolras and tentatively reached out and held Enjolras's hand.

Enjolras smiled at him, grateful for his presence. He wasn't sure what he what he would do if Grantaire wasn't there.

"Have I truly given you that much?" Enjolras whispered.

"You gave me a reason to live. You always were my bright angel in shining armor. My Apollo." Grantaire tried for a smile.

"I am no God." Enjolras said weakly.

"Perhaps not to yourself. But to us we love and worship you. We call you a god not to put pressure on you, to make you stone, but to show you how much we care about you." Grantaire explained.

Enjolras managed a small smile and, before his rational mind could stop him, he pressed forward and kissed Grantaire on the lips. Grantaire froze before returning the kiss quickly. Grantaire nipped at Enjolras's lower lip and Enjolras was remarkably submissive in the kiss. He always had imagined he would lead such things. But soon he found he didn't care. Grantaire's lips on his own spread a feeling of contentment throughout his body, a happiness he had never experienced before this.

Suddenly a throat was cleared and Grantaire pulled back. Enjolras immediately missed the warmth on his lips. Combeferre stood there awkwardly and shifted from foot to foot.

"You should get some rest, Enjolras. You as well, Grantaire. Courf will wake you when it is your turn to watch." Combeferre said, blushing furiously before ducking out of the Musain.

"That was awkward." Grantaire muttered.

"Well... that was my first kiss." Enjolras admitted, chuckling inexplicably.

Grantaire smiled at him and shook his head of messy black curls. "You never cease to amaze me."

"That _is_ my first priority." Enjolras said dryly and Grantaire relaxed into a laugh.

Seeing Grantaire so happy made Enjolras's heart hurt. Grantaire was going to die for a cause he didn't believe in. Only because he cared for Enjolras. He couldn't do that. He was not worth dying for.

"Enjolras, what's wrong? You look troubled." Grantaire asked, concern filling his beautiful blue eyes.

"Grantaire, I need you to go." Grantaire's look of pain stabbed him in the heart, the pain worse than any knife could ever do. "You need to get away from here. I cannot let you die for something you do not believe in. I won't let you die for no reason. You can move past me. Meet a nice girl and get married. Do not die this night."

Grantaire looked him so sadly. "You truly think I will leave you to die? Alone and scared? Never. I will stand by your side til the end of time. Even if you hated the sight of me I would never leave your side."

Enjolras's eyes started to swim with tears. Grantaire gently kissed the tears away. It was a gesture that touched Enjolras deep in his heart. He wished he could return it.

"If I die, I die for a reason. I die for you. You are the greatest reason to live and die." Grantaire promised.

Enjolras nodded, and wiped his eyes clear.

"How very silly of me." He whispered.

"No. How very human of you." Grantaire amended.

"I thought I was marble." Enjolras cocked an eyebrow.

"You are better than marble." Grantaire smiled a little and Enjolras sighed.

"Nothing I say or do will convince you to leave me here, will it?"

"Nothing. Unless you come with me." Grantaire offered.

Enjolras sighed again and put his head in his hands. "I could never do that. I can't leave our friends here to die alone."

"I knew you wouldn't do it. I don't think I can leave them either." Grantaire sighed.

Enjolras nodded. "Come with me to the other barricades. Tomorrow. To see how the others are doing."

"I promise I will never leave your side." Grantaire accepted. Grantaire's voice struck a chord in Enjolras's heart, and his piercing gaze struck it harder.

"Thank you. I'm afraid Combeferre is right. We have to get some sleep or else we'll die at first light tomorrow." Enjolras tried to make it a joke but his words came out so wrong that he couldn't believe he'd spoken them. He never spoke so wrong before.

Grantaire smiled, understanding. "Let's go upstairs. I think that chair is still there."

"What chair?" Enjolras asked.

"The chair." Grantaire stressed. "Oh right, you weren't conscious. The first night I caught you sleep talking I put you in that chair. The first night we 'slept' together."

Enjolras smiled and nodded. He followed Grantaire up the stairs and found it empty.

"Damn. I was hoping it'd be here." Grantaire cursed.

"We threw everything down for the barricade." Enjolras reminded him.

"Then we'll look for it on the barricade. Come." Grantaire grabbed Enjolras's hand and led him downstairs.

"We can find anywhere to sleep." Enjolras said but Grantaire glared at him lovingly.

"It's sentimental. Even you must understand sentimentality." Grantaire insisted.

"I see no point in such things. But if it pleases you, I will help look for this 'chair'." Enjolras answered honestly.

Grantaire smiled brightly and led Enjolras outside. Suddenly, Grantaire's grip tightened and he pointed near the top of the barricade where an old worn down chair was resting, somehow still together. It took some time and shifting some of the other sleeping Amis, mainly because Courfeyrac sprawled like no other, but soon the infamous chair held Enjolras resting on his side, and Grantaire was leaned against it.

"Grantaire, I give you permission to join me." Enjolras repeated for the third time.

Grantaire just laughed. "Sentimentality, Apollo. Sentimentality."

Enjolras huffed and meant to never be comfortable until Grantaire joined him but soon exhaustion had its way and Enjolras soon fell asleep. That night, their hands found each other's once more and intertwined themselves. They slept with small smiles on their faces only to die the next day. Even then, Grantaire did not break his promise to never leave Enjolras's side. It was a promise so strong not even God could cause it to be broken.

* * *

**Whoo! That's it! No more. I hope you all liked it. I wanted Enjolras to be afraid in this, so I hope it wasn't OOC, because a) what they were facing would scare anyone and b) Aaron Tveit's face has fear at the barricades. For the final time, for this series anyways, adieu mes petits dévots. Vive la revolution!**


End file.
